IT professional visits Girls Who Code

Director of Audit Services and Institute Compliance at the California Institute of Technology Pamela Koyzis shared her experience working in IT auditing with students in the Girls Who Code club Monday during break.

“You have to be creative about how you test things and how you look at things, too,” Koyzis said. “You also have to be able to choose a good amount of common sense. You kind of have to be a jack of all trades, so I think the best IT auditors have a lot of experience in information technology.”

During her PowerPoint presentation, Koyzis displayed a video about some of the common characteristics and skills of an auditor. Some of these skills included communication and being open to different ideas while taking other people’s opinions into account.

“You have to be able to be creative and really communicate well with the people you are auditing and really help them to make sure that they understand why they are putting controls in place and when to change them,” Koyzis said.

Koyzis attributed her skill set particularly to her background in IT. While she did not have an accounting background like most people in her field, she still had her math degree and MBA, she said.

As she and other auditors have access to confidential information, she said it is crucial to be ethical about managing that information, she said. Some audits even pertain to the government.

Koyzis advised students interested in becoming an IT auditor to continuously educate themselves and keep their skills up to date.

“IT is just exploding. It’s getting more and more important. You can’t be scared of it. You have to not be afraid of asking questions or saying, ‘I don’t know that,’” Koyzis said.